Jasmine France,
Senior Associate Editor
April 1, 2009
Sure, you've loaded a fabulous collection of digital audio tracks onto your MP3 player, but what to do when your tunes begin to sound just a bit too familiar? That's where an FM tuner comes in. In many places, FM radio still offers plenty of worthwhile content for your listening pleasure, and it can provide a refreshing break from your regular rotation. Plus, it's a great extra to have at the gym, allowing you to tune into the TVs and take your mind off that vigorous workout.
So, if you're not among the uberdiligent who always remember to sync up their players for fresh content, be sure to pick one with an FM tuner onboard. Unfortunately, although many players come with this nifty feature, not all of them deliver quite as advertised. In fact, we've come across a few that cut in and out of even the strongest frequencies. But don't fret. There are several players available with decent FM tuners; in fact, I easily found six with great-sounding radios. Not only that, but each of the players here offers an autoscan function and at least 10 preset slots, so you won't have to fumble around finding your favorite stations. If you already own an iPod, but crave an FM tuner, check out Apple's excellent iPod Radio Remote.
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| Price | $179.99 to $229.99 | $69.99 to $80.99 | $119.99 | $99.99 to $124.95 | $99.99 | $244.97 to $379.99 |
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| Review date | November 07, 2007 | August 06, 2008 | February 27, 2007 | March 12, 2008 | October 01, 2008 | September 17, 2008 |
| The Bottom Line | The Samsung YP-P2 is an excellent-sounding MP3 player that will appeal to those looking for a cool touch-screen interface and stereo Bluetooth capability. | The Creative Zen Mozaic offers great bang for your buck as far as MP3 players go: get super sound quality, a boatload of features, and a cool interface--all wrapped in a funky design at an ultralow price. | If you can get on board with the Cowon D2's PDA-like touch screen interface, the reward is great-sounding audio, a smorgasbord of features, and a fantastic battery life. | The SanDisk Sansa Fuze is a great value--a slim design, simple interface, plentiful features, memory expansion capability, and solid sound quality all come with an easy-to-swallow price tag. | The Sony E-Series Walkman is a great value. It's an excellent option for anyone looking for an easy-to-use MP3 player with a pocketable design, a long battery life, handy features, and solid sound quality. | The Zune 120, with a unique focus on music discovery, is a fierce competitor to the iPod Classic. The Zune's substantial storage capacity combined with its Zune Pass music subscription makes it an ideal solution for restless music fans with large appetites. |
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| Features | ||||||
| Dimensions (WxDxH) | 2 in x 0.4 in x 3.9 in | 1.6 in x 0.5 in x 3.1 in | 3.1 in x 0.7 in x 2.2 in | 1.9 in x 0.3 in x 3.1 in | 1.7 in x 0.4 in x 3.3 in | 2.4 in x 0.5 in x 4.3 in |
| Software type | Drivers & Utilities Samsung Media Studio | Drivers & Utilities Creative MediaSource Creative ZEN Media Explorer | Cowon jetShell Cowon jetAudio VX | Drivers & Utilities Microsoft Windows Media Player 10 Microsoft Windows Media Player 11 | Napster Microsoft Windows Media Player 11 | Info unavailable |
| Resolution | 480 x 272 | 128 x 160 | 360 x 240 | 220 x 176 | 240 x 320 | 320 x 240 |
| Mfr estimated battery life | 30 hour(s) | 32 hour(s) | 52 hour(s) | 24 hour(s) | 45 hour(s) | 30 hour(s) |
| PC interface(s) supported | Bluetooth Hi-Speed USB | Hi-Speed USB | Hi-Speed USB | Hi-Speed USB | Info unavailable | Wi-Fi Hi-Speed USB |
| Flash memory form factor | Integrated | Integrated | Integrated | Integrated | Integrated | Info unavailable |
| Flash memory installed | 8 GB | 4 GB | 4 GB | 8 GB | 8 GB | Info unavailable |
| Battery technology | Lithium polymer | Lithium ion | Lithium polymer | Info unavailable | Lithium ion | Lithium ion |
| Weight | 3 oz | 1.5 oz | 3.2 oz | 2.1 oz | 1.8 oz | 4.5 oz |
| Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications |
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